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Will Anything Keep Trump Up at Night? Trump-Related Open Thread

I don't think the Mar-a-Lago search and Trump's withholding of classified documents is Trump's biggest nightmare. I think Georgia's investigation into election fraud is what should keep him up at night.

Has Dick Cheney weighed in on Trump and the classified documents since his daughter lost the primary? (The graphic is from a post about AUSA Patrick Fitzgerald alleging in a pleading in the Scooter Libby case that Cheney, acting with the approval of former President Bush, had authorized Libby to disclose portions of the classified National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq to rebut some of the claims made by Valerie Plame's husband, Joseph Wilson. The government subpoenaed documents from Cheney and included in the response was a copy of Wilson's infamous Op-Ed with Cheney's handwritten notes asking if they had sent Wilson on a junket).

The Wall Street Journal has an "explainer" (free link through my subscription, courtesy of WSJ) on the different categories of classified documents. The Mar-a-Lago Affidavit is here. [More.]

The FBI identified documents with classification markings in 14 of the 15 boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago, according to the affidavit. A preliminary look at the documents revealed 184 with classification markings including 67 documents marked “CONFIDENTIAL,” 92 marked “SECRET,” and 25 marked as “TOP SECRET,” the affidavit says.

This is an open thread on all things Trump.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Then (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by FlJoe on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 05:39:20 PM EST
    it's on to Heil DeSantis, can't wait. Nothing semi about this monster.

    Can't yet picture him (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 05:54:14 PM EST
    winning the presidency.  Trump is only a fascist because that was the demand he opportunistically filled. He has no beliefs.  He is first an entertainer.  I think the entertainer got elected.  DeSantanist is not an entertainer.

    Parent
    I (none / 0) (#17)
    by FlJoe on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 06:07:49 PM EST
    agree 100% on the entertainment part, it won't stop the media from furiously trying to polish that turd.

    Every maga on the top half of the fascist spectrum will follow in lockstep, hopefully most of the bottom half will quickly lose interest in this dreary little man.

    Parent

    I have (none / 0) (#19)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 08:22:44 PM EST
    seen election observers opine that DeSatan has a glass jaw and will not do well in a national environment. Unless the continuous culture war has more adherents that I think I don't see him winning but you are right about the media. They are going to attempt to help him into the white house.

    Parent
    the comment you are replying to (none / 0) (#21)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 11:51:30 PM EST
    was deleted for referring to "the she-pundit with long blond hair" by her real name on this site. (Sorry if it was before anyone's time here). Some standards need to be maintained. (Although I have not heard anyone mention her or write about her in a decade or more)

    Parent
    Kinda nostaligic (5.00 / 3) (#28)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Aug 31, 2022 at 05:33:10 PM EST
    looking at all the old-timers on that thread

    Parent
    Ha (none / 0) (#22)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 31, 2022 at 06:37:39 AM EST
    Oops

    Now I know.

    Parent

    Let me replace that which shall not be named (none / 0) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 31, 2022 at 07:55:58 AM EST
    with other evidence the work of removing the malignant Tumor named Donald is currently ongoing.

    NYPost

    But if the focus is on Trump instead, enraged Democrats will unite, pause their intercine warring while independents will abstain or vote against the GOP.

    Yes, Trump still has most of his true believers. But most Republicans would rather the ex-president went away, so the party can figure out where it's going in the post-Trump future.

    Those GOPers know Trump's already an albatross: His "stolen election" derangement in late 2020 is why Dems control the Senate now, and his endorsements in this year's primaries have helped saddle Republicans with enough weak Senate candidates this year that retaking the chamber seems increasingly out of reach.

    Plus, for all the tens of millions Trump has raised since leaving the White House, he hasn't yet spent any of it even to help the candidates he's endorsed.



    Parent
    The (none / 0) (#24)
    by FlJoe on Wed Aug 31, 2022 at 08:10:17 AM EST
    great mystery is why the Republicans didn't cut him loose when they had the chance. After Jan 6 both McConnell and McCarthy were busy cutting the chain, McConnell came halfway back McCarthy came all the way back and 90% of elected Republicans at least grudgingly stayed in his camp.

    If tRump had kompromat on Republicans it would explain a lot.

    Parent

    I think maybe (none / 0) (#25)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 31, 2022 at 08:20:32 AM EST
    they also heard from their constituents.  Who made it clear dumping him at that point would be political death for them all.

    I think the Post and the WSJ and others are trying to ease them into the idea.  Cause while the worry about Nov they worry more (by the day) about 2024.

    Parent

    No (none / 0) (#26)
    by FlJoe on Wed Aug 31, 2022 at 08:50:47 AM EST
    I am pretty sure they could have pretty much ignored him and his support would have faded, they really didn't need to actually stand against him, just move on.

    Parent
    Aloha from San Diego! (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Sep 01, 2022 at 04:04:18 PM EST
    I arrived yesterday afternoon to help my uncle with some estate-related matters, as I'm his designated executor. We have a meeting with his attorney and accountant tomorrow. He has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and has entered hospice care. He's 96 and has lived a full (and interesting) life, and I don't understand why some people are begrudging the fact that he's forgoing further treatment. I'll catch up with you all a little later when I have some time for myself.

    If you have a chance (none / 0) (#116)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 08:50:42 AM EST
    get a Carne Asada burrito and some rolled tacos from Roberto's. The one in Ocean Beach is my favorite. That place kept me fed for years.

    Of all the things everyone I know who ever lived in Ocean Beach and then moved away yearns for, is Roberto's.

    Parent

    Thanks for the suggestion. (none / 0) (#133)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Sep 09, 2022 at 10:46:25 PM EST
    I'm back in the islands but I will be returning to San Diego next Friday.

    Parent
    I arrived back in San Diego ... (5.00 / 1) (#181)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Sep 20, 2022 at 04:32:31 PM EST
    ... on Saturday morning. This morning, my uncle passed. Even though it was expected, it happened so suddenly that it surprised me.

    We had a very nice day on Sunday, as he walked around his yard and got a final opportunity to putter around with all his plants. Then we went out to dinner at his favorite restaurant.

    Yesterday morning, I heard him talking in his bedroom and he was having a very vivid conversation with his late wife, who had passed ten years ago. (He had started a morphine regimen for the pain a few days earlier.) When he said, "Okay, I'll see you soon," I came into the room and he said, "You just missed your aunt. She said she'll be back soon to get me."

    I guess my aunt kept her promise, at that. I've never been around someone for an extended period of time just prior to their passing, so it's weird how my own instincts told me immediately yesterday after my uncle's visit with his late wife that he was ready to let go and that this was it.

    I'm so glad I called my mother right after I heard him talking to his wife's ghost / spirit. She and my other aunt (their sister) immediately drove down from Pasadena and arrived in the late afternoon. They got a chance to talk with him one last time and then stayed until he lost consciousness about 10:00 p.m. and died at 5:30 a.m.

    We called the hospice nurse, who came over a few hours ago, pronounced my uncle deceased and called the mortuary to come pick up his body, which they just did. I've been on the phone all morning letting his friends and other family members know that he was gone.

    My mother is going to drive back up to Pasadena after rush hour this evening, and my aunt is going to stay and help my cousins and me as we start to inventory my uncle's array of possessions. Actually, my uncle and I had already done a lot of that work when I was here a few weeks ago, and he had meticulously labeled items with the names of their intended recipients.

    Now, it's down to just sorting it all out before everyone starts arriving in a few days for his services and burial at Miramar National Cemetery. I will say, he had accumulated an awful lot of stuff in 96 years of living.

    Aloha, everyone. Take care.

    Parent

    You have (5.00 / 3) (#182)
    by Zorba on Wed Sep 21, 2022 at 08:09:31 AM EST
    Our deepest sympathies, Donald.  


    Parent
    Mahalo, Zorba. (none / 0) (#184)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Sep 21, 2022 at 02:21:14 PM EST
    You know, I'm still trying to figure out how exactly I became the de facto family patriarch. It certainly wasn't by virtue of any personal designs on my part. It just kind of, you know, happened.

    And it's not like everyone else in the family isn't pulling their weight and I'm left to do everything myself by default. But they're all clearly looking to me for direction - or at least, some sense thereof.

    I shouldn't complain too much, though. At least they're quite willing to take direction and act, once I ask them to do something. If I've learned anything in my professional life, it's that the most effective way to lead is to wisely delegate authority and tasks, listen to others with an ear for comprehension, and defer to their knowledge and judgment when appropriate and / or necessary. I'm now belatedly coming to realize that it applies to family dynamics, as well.

    Aloha. Have a blessed day.

    Parent

    Well, I can (none / 0) (#187)
    by Zorba on Fri Sep 23, 2022 at 06:59:37 PM EST
    Very much understand what you are taking about, Donald.
    When my parents died, I basically became the "family matriarch."
    But, like you, I had the help of my siblings and cousins.

    Parent
    A very fiery (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by KeysDan on Thu Sep 01, 2022 at 08:52:38 PM EST
    and poignant speech by President Biden at Philadelphia.   A man for the moment delivering the best of his presidency.  Setting forth the urgent need to protect and preserve democracy in the face of attack by "MAGA-Republicans", (aka.Republicans, semi-fascists/fascists).  A call for concerned Americans to be a bulwark in defense of the rule of law and defenders of the Constitution.  And, this seemed to include Merrick Garland.

    A good speech, but sad that it is needed to be said by the President of the United States.

    It looks better (5.00 / 2) (#32)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 07:50:04 AM EST
    and more effective by the hour.  The setting.  The starwars military red BG.  The Marines.  It was a well staged and delivered punch in the face of MAGA.

    Maybe one of the smartest bits was rebranding MAGA republicans.  He repeatedly said it.  It was a brilliant branding flip.  

    Every republicans can now decide if they are a MAGA republican.  An enemy of democracy.

    Some will relish this.  Many will not.  I think.

    Parent

    I also don't think Biden would have (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 07:53:44 AM EST
    done it, in that particular way, if he was not pretty sure Trump would be indicted.

    Not suggesting he has any special knowledge about the investigation.  You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

    Parent

    That was my thought (5.00 / 1) (#50)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 07:31:04 PM EST
    too. My thought was he knows Donald is going to be indicted. However Judge Napolitano said the same thing along with Rick Gates (I guess he is out of jail now) and now Bob Barr saying they wouldn't be raiding MAL unless they had an airtight case against Trump.

    So now we wait. After seeing the document covers with no documents and perhaps they have been sold to a foreign adversary that maybe that indictment needs to happen sooner rather than later.

    Parent

    I fear Judge Cannon (none / 0) (#34)
    by KeysDan on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 08:40:21 AM EST
    will be a stumbling block on the way to justice for Trump.  She said she will present her opinion in "due course", which probably means as soon as some up and coming reactionary lawyer working in the basement of the Federalist Society headquarters comes up with her opinion.

    Cutting off WiFi in the courtroom and her being "inclined" to authorize a special master even before hearing much of the case did not augur well in my mind.  The best I am hoping for is a special master limited to attorney/client issues. Maybe she will come to believe this will be enough to keep her prospects for advancement to an appellate judgeship alive.

    Parent

    Not as pessimistic (none / 0) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 09:04:53 AM EST
    I think it's more likely to be a limited attorney client thing.

    She will do this as CYA.  I will be very surprised if she goes full MAGA with the executive privilege stuff.  Which is absurd on it's face.  But I've been surprised before.

    She is pretty young.  Surely considering the view of history.

    Parent

    Also (none / 0) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 09:51:22 AM EST
    Even if she does it really is a speed bump.  It won't change anything.  It will just draw it out.  Probably politically not a bad thing for us.

    We have a minimum of 2 more years of a functioning DOJ.  time enough.

    Parent

    Bill Barr (none / 0) (#56)
    by KeysDan on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 04:59:34 PM EST
    on the request for a special master: "a crock of shIt" ( to the NYTimes). Of course, Barr is running away from Trump faster than Hawley ran from his MAGA confederates, but still he is right.  Stopped clock and all.

    Parent
    Barr is on FOX (none / 0) (#57)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 05:19:59 PM EST
    Napolitano is on NEWSMAX.  The are preparing the mouth breathers.

    Parent
    Judge Cannon (none / 0) (#68)
    by KeysDan on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 11:11:24 AM EST
    granted Trump's request for a special master and temporarily enjoined review or use of the seized materials for investigative purposes. The special:master will review the materials --personal items and potentially privileged material subject to claims of attorney/client and/or executive privilege.

    Cannon does not see this as a crock of shIt, as does Barr, rather  "to ensure, at least, the appearance of fairness and integrity under the extraordinary circumstances".  

    Parent

    Can and in your opinion (none / 0) (#70)
    by MO Blue on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 11:44:18 AM EST
    will DOJ appeal? Personally, I think DOJ should immediately appeal if option is allowed.

    Parent
    The DOJ can (none / 0) (#73)
    by KeysDan on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 12:28:48 PM EST
    appeal. Apparently, her decision will not prevent review for intelligence damage, which seems tricky.  The issue of delay may be ameliorated somewhat by the an unlikely indictment before the election.   What is worrisome is the precedent wherein the judge seems to believe that Trump has a point on executive privilege, going around Chief Justice Robert's ruling, writing for the Court in the J6 investigation (Thomas did not agree and Kavanaugh's dissent was qualified ).

    The DOJ may be in a quandary in terms of appeal---abiding the special master or  appealing to the 11th Circuit and, the SC., and risking the SC changing/tweaking  their previous executive privilege opinion and risking the whole case.  My guess is the DOJ will appeal.  

    The Federalist Society may see this as an opportunity to make more law on executive privilege given the majority on the SC. And this judge has been a member of the Federalist Society since 2005.

    This judge, in my view, is a hack. Her order even holds in abeyance the request of Trump to return the materials.  I sense bad faith abounds.  But, on the bright side, the order keeps the stolen document case on the front burner during election season, and the need to have a special master agreeable to both parties and with the necessary security credential seems to blow a hole in the plaintiff's position that he declassified the documents.


    Parent

    The DOJ (none / 0) (#121)
    by KeysDan on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 03:54:02 PM EST
    will appeal the ruling of Judge Cannon to the 11th Circuit Court. Separately and simultaneously, the prosecutors asked Cannon to stay her order to temporarily halt the FBI investigation into the mishandling of classified information and allow a SM to review classified materials seized.

    The government noted that these documents have already been moved to a secure facility.  And, it was indicated that the FBI and intelligence investigations were intertwined.

    Parent

    Any (none / 0) (#122)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 04:53:21 PM EST
    predictions or expectations?

    Will she care the ruling is widely considered brainless.

    Or will she hope for a DeSantis supreme court nomination?

    Parent

    The DOJ filing (none / 0) (#123)
    by KeysDan on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 07:48:51 PM EST
    gives Judge Cannon a decent way to get out of the mess she created. And, the judge may not see the request for a stay, (focused on the classified material and an effective  national security investigation) and her SC aspirations as being mutually exclusive.

    She will remain in good stead for her heroic, albeit corrupt, efforts to put Trump above the law and "being in a league of his own." The DOJ has agreed to return Trump's personal and some other materials not germane to the investigation.   So, my expectation is that she will grant the stay.  

    Parent

    The judge has responded (none / 0) (#124)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 08:53:41 PM EST
    Lawerence is talking about it

    Parent
    Can't find response (none / 0) (#127)
    by MO Blue on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 10:39:40 PM EST
    What has she said?


    Parent
    It was a couple of sentences (none / 0) (#129)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 09, 2022 at 07:27:07 AM EST
    That basically as I understood asked both parties to "think about" the files in question and maybe we could all just agree to something that keeps her from looking like an idiot.

    Neal Katyal and Andrew Weissman discussed it on Lawrence last night.  They said it was a white flag.

    We will probably hear more about it today.

    Parent

    The full episode is here (none / 0) (#130)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 09, 2022 at 07:37:55 AM EST
    Thanks (none / 0) (#132)
    by MO Blue on Fri Sep 09, 2022 at 09:47:52 AM EST
    Interesting segment


    Parent
    I guess a lot now depends (none / 0) (#71)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 11:50:12 AM EST
    on who it is.  This sucks but so what.  It's only a delay.  In one investigation.  

    It will keep it in the news.  Also any excuse for whining about unfair treatment is eliminated

    Meh

    Parent

    Maybe (none / 0) (#72)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 11:52:42 AM EST
    The pillow guy.

    Parent
    An expedited federal appeal can take (none / 0) (#75)
    by Peter G on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 03:40:58 PM EST
    up to two months. (The normal duration of a federal appeal is around a year, more or less.) Even a super-expedited emergency appeal takes 10 days to two weeks, unless it is summarily dismissed out of hand upon filing. So, the delay factor is real.

    Parent
    Think (none / 0) (#76)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 05:28:06 PM EST
    they will appeal?

    Parent
    I don't see why they would (none / 0) (#77)
    by Peter G on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 05:43:40 PM EST
    It is not a meaningful adverse precedent (utterly unique facts and circumstances), and the feds have already had a full opportunity to examine the documents, with a sufficient "taint team" in place (or so they think). So, what's to be gained by appealing?

    Parent
    Who picks the SM? (none / 0) (#78)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 05:58:56 PM EST
    The judge?

    Parent
    Yes, it is the judge's choice (none / 0) (#82)
    by Peter G on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 06:28:12 PM EST
    traditionally after seeking suggestions from and consulting with the parties. If the parties can make a joint nomination, so much the better. But not really likely here, I wouldn't think, since Tr*mp's m/o is to object to and complain about everything.

    Parent
    The decision whether to appeal (none / 0) (#79)
    by Peter G on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 06:07:00 PM EST
    is in the purview of Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar (pronounced PRE-logger). In addition to her impressive official resume, General Prelogar (as the SG is addressed) is also the former Miss Idaho (2004).

    Parent
    But who picks (none / 0) (#80)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 06:08:22 PM EST
    The Special Master.

    Parent
    I see (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 06:23:13 PM EST

    Lawyers tell WPTV it is likely up to the judge to choose some names and then the process plays out.

    link

    Parent

    According to (none / 0) (#85)
    by KeysDan on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 08:09:48 PM EST
    Judge Cannon's order all the parties are to confer in a meaningful way and submit a list of special master candidates (by Sept 9) from which she will pick.  If disputes that is to be noted in the submission.

    Parent
    The Special Master is typically (none / 0) (#83)
    by Peter G on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 06:35:25 PM EST
    a former U.S. Magistrate Judge or retired federal judge. Conceivably, in this case, a respected former U.S. Attorney (Republican appointee, no doubt), not an Assistant U.S. Attorney but a presidentially-appointed chief federal prosecutor. But more likely a retired federal judge from one of the three Florida federal districts.

    Parent
    Or perhaps (none / 0) (#86)
    by Peter G on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 09:17:59 PM EST
    the dean (or a retired former dean) of one of the Florida law schools.

    Parent
    Geez, what's to stop her from choosing, (none / 0) (#87)
    by desertswine on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 10:15:33 PM EST
    say, Giuliani?  Or some such.

    Parent
    Public opinion (none / 0) (#89)
    by Peter G on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 09:11:59 AM EST
    and credibility

    Parent
    Now they are talking about (none / 0) (#93)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 07:09:50 PM EST
    appealing only the injunction.

    Waddaya think.

    Parent

    The injunction gives rise to the clearest (5.00 / 2) (#96)
    by Peter G on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 09:33:09 PM EST
    grounds for appeal (and the least problematic claim of immediate appellate jurisdiction). Any other issue that is "inextricably intertwined" with the injunction can then also be addressed by the court of appeals, without having to be independently appealable at this time.

    Parent
    And (none / 0) (#94)
    by FlJoe on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 07:28:29 PM EST
    Kaboom, everyone forgets about this special master distraction and it's back to nuclear secrets! For real this time, or so sayeth WP and CNN.

    Parent
    The timing of the nuclear revelation (5.00 / 1) (#97)
    by KeysDan on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 10:01:57 PM EST
    is unlikely to be coincidental to the SM decision. The  SM delay tactic and enjoining the necessarily intertwined DOJ and National Security investigations appear to have given rise to great concern by the intelligence community.  And, the nuclear secret revelation may be a not too subtle warning to the judiciary of the level of fire they are playing around with.

    The caution from the Intel community will have no affect on Judge Cannon since she has already demonstrated corrupt decision-making. However, the caution may register with the 11th Circuit, if appealed.

    Parent

    I (none / 0) (#98)
    by FlJoe on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 06:45:59 AM EST
    agree, I was wondering where the leak came from I thought it was unlikely that it was the DOJ, who have been happy to use court filings as their weapon of choice.

    It makes more sense that it came from the intel community who can only play the game in the background. I think events are rushing way past that podunk judge's nonsense.

    Parent

    Probably true (none / 0) (#101)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 08:29:08 AM EST
    and there will probably be more to come.

    Parent
    I agree. (none / 0) (#105)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 09:26:39 AM EST
    I think this was a smack in the face to Judge Cannon because now she looks like an idiot.

    Parent
    Yes, (none / 0) (#106)
    by KeysDan on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 09:59:11 AM EST
    it was idiocy before the nuclear revelation and idiocy a la mode after.  She is perfect for a Supreme Court nomination by a Republican president, blending in well with the Trump Three plus Alito and Thomas.

    Parent
    It is described as (none / 0) (#95)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 08:04:52 PM EST
    reports of what a certain country's nuclear capabilities are.  

    Iran?

    Parent

    Possibly Israel. (none / 0) (#99)
    by KeysDan on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 08:00:39 AM EST
    The Bone Saw Prince may be willing to pay $2 Billion for such information.

    Parent
    Could be anyone I guess (none / 0) (#102)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 08:34:35 AM EST
    This is in the news.

    Deal with Iran Not Imminent
    September 7, 2022 at 9:06 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

    "A new nuclear deal between Iran and world powers is off the table and will not be signed in the foreseeable future," the Times of Israel reports.

    "This is the message that was conveyed to Prime Minister Yair Lapid in his recent conversations with US President Joe Biden and other administration officials."



    Parent
    True (none / 0) (#103)
    by KeysDan on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 08:44:22 AM EST
    My guessing is based on Trump's basic motivation: transactional and personal gain.  Nuclear information of all sorts passed through the Oval Office, but what interested him so much as to steal it away after leaving office.   My thinking goes to marketability.  

    Parent
    He also loves to say he was right (none / 0) (#104)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 08:57:05 AM EST
    He pulled out of the deal.  

    It seems like him to steal documents that he think proves they were cheating and he was right.

    But who knows really.

    Parent

    Andrew Weissman (none / 0) (#125)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 09:10:41 PM EST
    and Neal Katyal says she is waving a white flag.

    Parent
    Oops (none / 0) (#126)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 09:12:17 PM EST
    This comment is about the Judges response to the DOJ filing.

    Replied in the wrong place.

    Parent

    ... a top-level security clearance. If so, that will effectively limit the field of candidates. I think they'll be looking at an active or recently retired FISA court judge.

    Parent
    The DOJ (none / 0) (#90)
    by KeysDan on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 09:23:40 AM EST
    Will no doubt require a SM with top security clearance. If the Dean does not have such, the process is a lengthy one and could add to the delay. And, if for some reason the Dean was not approved, the process would start over.

    Moreover, there may be a risk in the appointment of a Dean of a Florida law school (or any Florida institution of higher learning).  DeSantis' attack on colleges and universities is having a chilling effect on some faculty, and there are concerns for retaliation by the Governor for "liberal bias".  An SM appointment may place an administrator in an uncomfortable position, certainly in a state-funded. Institution and could be a problem for private schools, as well.    

    Parent

    From what I've read (none / 0) (#84)
    by MO Blue on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 06:54:33 PM EST
    Cannon also blocked the Justice Department from continuing its review of the documents in its criminal investigation "pending resolution of the special master's review process as determined by this Court."

    If the current judge gets to select the Special Master, I don't have much faith that decisions will be made based on established law.

    Parent

    yes, but ... Although I liked the slow, deliberate (none / 0) (#36)
    by Peter G on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 09:15:41 AM EST
    cadence and tone of the speech, which incidentally allowed him to get through it with minimal flubs, I thought that in his post-speech waves and his walk to the door, guided by Jill, he looked remarkably elderly, frail and uncertain, almost like he had had a recent ministroke.

    Parent
    Well, he is 80, or just about there. (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 02:38:41 PM EST
    Joe Biden has been the president our country needed after the debacle of Donald Trump. Even if he decides to not run again, his tenure has already been a presidency of consequence.

    Parent
    Yes, I agree. But I do hope that he decides (none / 0) (#44)
    by Peter G on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 03:58:32 PM EST
    not to run again, simply for reasons of health and age.

    Parent
    Yeah (none / 0) (#37)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 09:24:41 AM EST
    I noticed that too. Even approaching the stage in the beginning.  Still.  Hes not wrong.

    I was wondering was it hard to see?  Dark with kleig lights in his face.  But yeah.

    Parent

    I thought (none / 0) (#39)
    by KeysDan on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 10:11:20 AM EST
    he was being cautious not to mis-step and stumble or fall in the darkness and in sight of the cameras.  Don't know if he has cataracts but glares can cut vision.

    Parent
    The folks at Fox News have been bleating ... (none / 0) (#42)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 02:32:18 PM EST
    ... like a flock of skewered sheep over Biden's speech. So it must have struck a nerve. I didn't get a chance to watch it live, and I'll have to catch it on the rebound.

    Parent
    Nikki Haley was bleating (none / 0) (#47)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 06:17:36 PM EST
    that President Biden was turning on "half" the country. Does this airhead really believe half the country are MAGAts? Ask Kansas.


    Parent
    10% (5.00 / 2) (#49)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 06:43:26 PM EST

    How Many MAGA Republicans Are There?

    September 2, 2022 at 2:53 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 147 Comments

    Philip Bump does the math and finds that about 10% of the U.S. population -- plus or minus a few percentage points -- favor of the positions of what President Biden called "MAGA Republicans



    Parent
    How many MAGA Republicans (5.00 / 2) (#53)
    by KeysDan on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 09:11:07 AM EST
    are there?  All of them Katie, in my reckoning, if you consider a Republican to be a member of the Republican Party and call themselves a Republican.

    President Biden said "The Republican Party is dominated, driven and intimidated by Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans and that's a threat to democracy."  "MAGA forces are determined to take the Country backwards. Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, and no right to marry who you love.

    The Republican National Committee officially declared the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol was "legitimate political discourse".

    There is little light between Republicans and MAGA Republicans. Sure, not all Republicans will participate in such "legitimate political discourse", or take Lindsey up on his call to take to the streets, or otherwise participate in violence or threats of same, but they support taking rights away when they don't like those who have the rights. They fear a diverse democracy and support steps, such as curbing voting rights, to thwart it.

    Some "moderate" Republicans are happy with their tax cuts and restricting regulations and will abide the extremism to get them,, but all of them are a threat.  And, just who is taking away these rights and threatening to do more.  Thuggery is an essential component of fascism but it does not work alone.


    Parent

    We can not really isolate half the country (none / 0) (#58)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 05:24:30 PM EST
    We might with luck and perseverance isolate 10-15%.

    It might be more productive to keep our eyes on the attainable and avoid unnecessarily alienating possible allies.

    As good as other options might feel.
     

    Parent

    It is not so (none / 0) (#60)
    by KeysDan on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 06:36:10 PM EST
    much feelings, as it is intentions and actions.  If we are concerned about  " a clear and present danger" to democracy, or taking away rights, or denying electoral losses, it is not the 10 percent of Republicans who look to violence to achieve political goals, it is the Republican governors, legislators, and Supreme Court Justices.  The MAGA Republicans are the foot soldiers of fascism.  

    The most feasible political strategy, at this point in time, is to solidify and energize the Democratic voters, persuade the vast majority of Independents, and peel off as many sane Republicans as possible, say 10 percent.  Of course, we are left with the Supreme Court but thee are ways to address that.

    Parent

    Reading Bump's actual column (none / 0) (#51)
    by Peter G on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 09:59:49 PM EST
    on this, it looks to me like he's saying more like 15% of the adult population. Which is still around half of what I thought it was. So, that's interesting. Of course, what's most interesting is how much power and influence they wield in excess of their actual numbers.

    Parent
    Using (none / 0) (#52)
    by FlJoe on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 06:36:55 AM EST
    the adult population as the denominator is silly. It should be registered voters or better yet active voters.

    My guesstimate has always been around 30% of regular Republican voters are true magas which at best is around 15% of the electorate which probably boils down to 10% or less of the adult population.

    Parent

    Uh oh (5.00 / 3) (#40)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 10:17:57 AM EST

    Trump Had Empty Folders Marked `Classified'
    September 2, 2022 at 11:24 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

    "FBI agents who searched former President Donald Trump's Florida home last month found empty folders marked with classified banners," the AP reports.

    link

    They should probably ask Putin where (none / 0) (#48)
    by desertswine on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 06:27:38 PM EST
    the missing contents of those classified files are.

    I wonder what else has it got in its pocketses?

    Parent

    Or ask (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by Zorba on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 09:56:03 AM EST
    Bonesaw bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

    Parent
    An excellent segment of "On the Media" (5.00 / 1) (#135)
    by Peter G on Sun Sep 11, 2022 at 11:14:39 AM EST
    this week (the NPR/WNYC radio program and podcast) explores prosecutions of former national leaders in "mature" democratic (non "banana-republic") countries, e.g., Italy, Israel, France, South Korea, etc. Very informative and thought provoking. Tends strongly toward the conclusion that well-supported prosecutions on clear and readily understandable charges within the context of a generally respected judicial system are far preferable for the health of the nation's democratic continuity to de facto impunity conferred for political reasons.

    ... from the very moment when Trump labeled Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "genius move" that Putin's "special military operation" was doomed to failure.

    In the wake of a large Ukrainian offensive east of Kharkiv that took the Kremlin by surprise and blew a 70-mile-wide hole in the Russian lines, the entire Russian strategic position in the northern Donbass is likely problematic. At this point, it's a rout. The Ukrainians have:

    • Advanced over 70 km in one week;
    • Recaptured 8,370 sq. km. of occupied territory, which is roughly the size of Cyprus;
    • Cut all the main Russian supply lines between Belgorod and the eastern Donbass;
    • Taken at least 7,000 Russian military personnel prisoner, including Lt. Gen. Andrei Sychevoi, commander of the Russian 8th Combined Arms Army (Southern Military District) and West Group, who was disguised as a lowly lieutenant when he was captured by Ukrainian forces east of Kharkiv; and
    • Captured nearly 500 main battle tanks, 1,380 armored personnel carriers, 54 artillery pieces (with ammunition!), and 20 air defense systems - all intact.

    Make no mistake, the Russian military defeat this week is nothing short of disastrous. Resistance to the Ukrainian advance has been minimal. Russian soldiers just abandoned their equipment on the field and ran.

    I know there's a lot going on right now, but please pay attention to Ukraine right now. It is my considered opinion that the entire Russian military effort there may well be on the verge of a historic collapse. And if that occurs, there will be all sorts of potential consequences arising from such a failure, including Putin's potential ouster from power.

    Aloha.

    Hopefully (5.00 / 3) (#137)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 09:22:20 AM EST
    They will get the queen planted soon and media will start paying more attention to this.

    I agree it's a BFD.

    Parent

    Events may overtake the media. (none / 0) (#140)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 11:53:35 AM EST
    And probably my posts as well. There are at present strong indications that the entire north flank of the Russian line has completely collapsed. Russian forces have fled the city of Svatove, and videos from the city of Starobilsk (even further east) are confirming that the Russians are likely fleeing from there, too.

    If that's true, then it's becoming a rout. Luhansk Oblast and the entire north Donbass region could be lost to Russia in a matter of 7-14 days.

    The end game may be closer than we thought.

    Parent

    There are reports from the front at Kherson that some Russian units have run out of ammunition and are surrendering to the Ukrainians, who are now within 10 km of the city.

    The Achilles' Heel of Putin's "Special Military Operation" has always been the Russian military's longstanding ineptitude in the art of supply and logistics, a weakness which is being further exacerbated by widespread and devastating Ukrainian HIMARS missile attacks on Russian munitions depots that were conveniently located just behind the front lines.

    Moving those munitions depots farther to the rear, out of HIMARS range, means that munitions and supplies must now be relayed to the front by truck convoys traveling up to 15 hours one-way. These convoys also present more tempting targets for Ukrainian artillery once they're in firing range.

    And so, logistics are once again biting Russia in the a$$.

    Parent

    Thanks (none / 0) (#143)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 06:54:14 PM EST
    for the updates. I loved the pictures of the liberated Ukrainians.

    The message must be getting out to the Russian people how badly things are going since there have been calls for Putin to resign. Franklin Graham can cry his eyes out when Putin is gone.

    Parent

    With the (none / 0) (#154)
    by KeysDan on Tue Sep 13, 2022 at 10:25:49 AM EST
    war going so badly for Russia, Putin may lose the support of the Republican Party.

    Parent
    I turned (none / 0) (#142)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 06:51:05 PM EST
    on Andrea Mitchell today. Stupid mistake by me. She was talking about nothing but Prince Charles.

    Parent
    Now King Charles III, per ... (none / 0) (#146)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 07:23:01 PM EST
    ... the proclamation of the U.K.'s Accession Council at St. James Palace in London this past Saturday. Let's face it, he's been known by us as "Prince Charles" for so long that it's become one of those familiar old habits which will likely not be easily broken any time soon. But Lord knows, I'm trying.
    ;-D

    Anyway, speaking as a historian, I appreciate the U.S. media's coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's passing. There's no question that, as the longest-reigning monarch in British / English history, her inevitable death from old age is a sincere and emotional milestone for many British and Commonwealth citizens - not to mention for the rest of us, because she was until last week the only British monarch we've known in our own lifetimes.

    But that's no reason for the networks to subsequently drown us in royal nostalgia p0rn at the expense of other important events taking place elsewhere - particularly for Queen Elizabeth II, a rather sensible and practical monarch who generally eschewed such overt expressions of sentimentality as both non-productive and unhelpful.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Daily (none / 0) (#147)
    by FlJoe on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 07:28:35 PM EST
    Kos has had excellent reporting throughout the war (albeit a bit on the rah-rah side). Even they are gobsmacked over the speed of the advance.

    We are possibly looking an historically epic rout of a major army and the MSM is playing seemingly endless loops of boring pomp and circumstances or cars driving down the highway.

    Parent

    From a political perspective, ... (none / 0) (#150)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 08:26:45 PM EST
    ... it would be ideal if Russia sues for peace prior to our Election Day. I think it's safe to say that such an occurrence would never have happened under a Trump administration and a GOP-controlled lapdog of a Congress. Ukraine would probably have been overrun and annexed by now.

    In fact, Trump is on record as having wanted to withdraw the U.S. from NATO during his second term. Der Trumpführer was, and always has been, an agent - unwitting or otherwise - for Russian interests.

    There's no question that a Ukrainian military victory over Russia and a renewed NATO comraderie amongst the Allies would represent a huge foreign policy triumph for President Biden.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    From a U.S. political perspective, ... (none / 0) (#151)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 08:31:57 PM EST
    ... it would be ideal if Russia sues for peace prior to our Election Day. I think it's safe to say that such an occurrence would never have happened under a Trump administration and a GOP-controlled lapdog of a Congress. Ukraine would probably have been overrun and annexed by now.

    In fact, Trump is on record as having wanted to withdraw the U.S. from NATO during his second term. Der Trumpführer was, and always has been, an agent - unwitting or otherwise - for Russian interests.

    There's no question that a Ukrainian military victory over Russia and a renewed NATO comraderie amongst the Allies would represent a huge foreign policy triumph for President Biden.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Daily (none / 0) (#148)
    by FlJoe on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 07:29:14 PM EST
    Kos has had excellent reporting throughout the war (albeit a bit on the rah-rah side). Even they are gobsmacked over the speed of the advance.

    We are possibly looking an historically epic rout of a major army and the MSM is playing seemingly endless loops of boring pomp and circumstances or cars driving down the highway.

    Parent

    Enough already (none / 0) (#155)
    by MKS on Tue Sep 13, 2022 at 12:01:04 PM EST
    of the King Charles and the Queen.   I like the Queen but this has been non-stop for days now.

    But if the Obamas get invited and Trump remains off the guest list, that would just be marvelous.  

    Parent

    Trump and Putin (none / 0) (#156)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 13, 2022 at 03:03:52 PM EST
    ABC, CBS and NBC all refused ... (none / 0) (#159)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 02:54:27 PM EST
    ... to live-broadcast President Biden's speech on the MAGA GOP's threat to U.S. democracy, but then one week later they all carried King Charles III's first speech to the British people as their new monarch. Go figure.

    Parent
    I am cheered (none / 0) (#160)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 03:17:04 PM EST
    by the thought that by Tuesday everyone will be as sick of it as I was the second day.

    Hopefully we can then move on.  And never speak of it again.

    Parent

    Yes (none / 0) (#164)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 07:34:41 PM EST
    again I turned on Andrea Mitchell and again she was talking about the British royals. Today it was about Andrew and how he should not be wearing military medals. I guess there are Americans that cannot get enough but weeks of coverage seems overkill.

    Parent
    From my point-of-view, (none / 0) (#167)
    by KeysDan on Sat Sep 17, 2022 at 08:39:09 AM EST
    Charles Iii could be Charles the Last, but it will be a battle royal to end the Monarchy, since it is the British Disneyland.  Big Tourism, Big Business.  

    Parent
    Very true (none / 0) (#169)
    by fishcamp on Sat Sep 17, 2022 at 10:08:48 AM EST
    They're at least five rag type daily newspapers in London dedicated to reporting only on the Royals.

    Parent
    The British public ... (none / 0) (#173)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 03:25:23 AM EST
    ... have great affinity for their monarchy, with their modern ties forged in particular by the Luftwaffe's bombing campaign of London and other U.K. cities, aka The Blitz, during the Second World War and the Royal Family's refusal to leave London for safer regions despite the obvious danger.  

    I don't think it's accurate or fair to compare the monarchy to Disneyland. There is a real reverence in the U.K. for the Queen and there is a lot of emotion throughout the country at the moment on the occasion of her passing.

    It was very much on display in Scotland, where there is a robust independence movement. There is no real sentiment in Edinburgh for cutting the country's ties with the monarchy, even as it seeks to redefine its relationship with the rest of the U.K. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke affectionately of Elizabeth's deep ties to Scotland and her apparent decision to spend her final days at Balmoral, and she praised her as a true "Queen of Scots."

    I think the British monarchy is a rather difficult concept for Americans to grasp and understand because we have no comparable institution that transcends our political and socio-economic lives. It is a moral center and constant in British citizen's lives, even as governments come and go.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I think it (none / 0) (#175)
    by KeysDan on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 10:09:55 AM EST
    would be fairer and more accurate to use an appropriate modifier to the statement "...The British public have great affinity for their monarchy..".  Such as--- most, the vast majority, or some...of the British public have great affinity..."

    A modifier, of some sort, may indicate that dissenting opinions exist among British "subjects". For example, reporting in the Guardian, Clive Lewis, a senior labor MP and former shadow cabinet member, spoke out despite the Party's call for silence during this period. Lewis, suggests the "distraction" of the monarchy plays into the need to address problems.

    Monarchy is an anachronism, but it is a British one and likely to be continued for the foreseeable future. History, entertainment, escapism, glamor, hysterical soap opera---distraction, almost like a British Disneyland.

    Parent

    Ask the Irish (5.00 / 1) (#177)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 10:33:56 AM EST
    Totally over it (none / 0) (#178)
    by MKS on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 11:56:49 AM EST
    The wall-to-wall coverage of all things Royal is really irritating me.

    Why does the Queen get all this devotion?  My grandma was nice too, and she did a lot of nice things too.  There are people down the street who die and it is very sad.  What makes the Queen so special?  

     What did the Queen actually do?  She was not supposed to have opinions.   She did not make decisions of State.  It is just because of her being born into a certain family.

    Everyone is entitled to respect and dignity and hopefully love.  Those who do well should be acknowledged.  But lavishing all this effort on just one person is too much.  It really grates....and it is all about Empire and literally being entitled because of the circumstance of birth.

    Parent

    I've been thinking a lot about (none / 0) (#179)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 01:18:56 PM EST
    the idea of royalty.  Why do humans historically pretty much always do it.  So much of our reality from celebrity culture to the Trump cult is related.

    Parent
    The news organizations (none / 0) (#161)
    by Zorba on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 04:58:36 PM EST
    In this country are acting like we're still British colonies.
    Or at the very least, part of the British Commonwealth.

    Parent
    There is no news (none / 0) (#162)
    by MKS on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 05:56:19 PM EST
    happening.....Just more and more ceremony and nostalgia....

    I started out very sympathetic to the Royals, but after awhile one has to wonder just what did the Queen do that was so magnificent??

    She kept together a commonwealth that was based on imperialism?  She is a symbol of continuity, many would say.  Is that not just another way of saying she is a symbol of imperialism?  That is a wonderful thing?

    Parent

    A wonderful (5.00 / 2) (#163)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 06:28:23 PM EST
    It was a rhetorical question (none / 0) (#168)
    by MKS on Sat Sep 17, 2022 at 09:49:24 AM EST
    I suppose there are some people, somewhere who think imperialism was/is a good thing.

    Parent
    Not (none / 0) (#165)
    by Zorba on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 08:08:44 PM EST
    a wonderful thing at all, MKS, which is what I believe you were trying to say.
    Imperialism and colonialism were based on extreme racism..

    Parent
    That's what I thought (none / 0) (#166)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 16, 2022 at 08:24:02 PM EST
    too

    Parent
    UPDATE: A current situation map of the war. (5.00 / 1) (#138)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 10:11:10 AM EST
    LINK. Here's a current map what happened this past week. The occupied area regained by Ukrainian forces offensive east of Kharkiv is shown in blue up top. The physical threat to Kharkiv itself posed by Russian ground forces and artillery has been effectively removed.

    The other areas to watch right now are along the southern front:

    • There are 25,000 Russian troops effectively trapped on the north side of the Dnipro River at Kherson on the far-left end of the front, where the Ukrainian HIMARS missiles supplied by the U.S. have disabled the only three bridges across the river, rendering them non-operational.

    • Ukrainian forces are also massing in the center of the front, threatening the Russian positions at Melitopol and Mariupol. A breakthrough here would cut the Russians' main east-west ground lines of communication and supply, which would likely render Russia's occupation of Crimea dependent upon holding the bridge across the Kerch Strait in the east. problematic. But the bridge would also then be in range of Ukrainian HIMARS missile systems. Blow that bridge, and the Russian forces in Crimea would be isolated, and could only be evacuated by sea through Sevastopol.

    No doubt, the Russians' strategic situation in southern Ukraine is quite dire, and they are in very serious difficulty. They are hastily reinforcing Mariupol, but Kherson will likely be lost to them this fall. And if Melitopol also falls to Ukrainian forces, the Kremlin will likely have to sue for peace or face possible annihilation of their army in the south.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Sh!t happening (none / 0) (#145)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 07:03:02 PM EST

    Thirty-five Russian municipal deputies signed a petition demanding him to resign from office due to the "harm" inflicted onto Russia due to the invasion, tweeted Ksenia Tortstrem on Monday, who serves as a municipal deputy in St. Petersburg's Smolninskoye municipal territory.

    So far, municipal leaders from several important Russian cities, such as Moscow, have signed onto the demand. Tortstem wrote the petition does not "discredit" anyone, an apparent jab at Russian authorities who have charged critics with discrediting the government.

    link

    Parent

    ... since been arrested in Moscow and St. Petersburg and charged with either criticizing Russia's war effort or referring to Putin's "special military operation" as a "war," both of which are now crimes under a recently promulgated law as of last March and punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

    Parent
    Here is the map that I have been using... (none / 0) (#153)
    by desertswine on Tue Sep 13, 2022 at 10:21:46 AM EST
    to follow the war in Ukraine.  Ukraine Interactive Map.

    Parent
    You can now count ... (5.00 / 2) (#139)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 12, 2022 at 10:30:45 AM EST
    ... the New York Times' Maggie Haberman as yet another in a long line of celebrity journalists who've proved themselves perfectly willing to sacrifice democracy on the altar of an exclusive book deal.

    WTF is wrong with these people?

    GREED (5.00 / 1) (#152)
    by jmacWA on Tue Sep 13, 2022 at 05:37:10 AM EST
    IMO... They all worship at the feet of the Profit Gekko

    Parent
    Ginni (continued) (5.00 / 1) (#157)
    by KeysDan on Tue Sep 13, 2022 at 03:56:09 PM EST
    was involved in about one-half of the anti-abortion groups and individuals who lobbied her husband and the other Justices to overturn Roe v Wade (Dobbs), providing "amicus briefs".

    In other news, Chief Justice Roberts, at the 10th Circuit Bench and Bar Conference in Colorado Springs, complained that people are losing faith in the Supreme Court, and it's really all on us.  He doesn't mind some criticism, but not as a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the Court. Simply because people disagree with an opinion, is not a basis for questioning the Court's legitimacy.

    The Chief Justice has joined Alito and Barrett in public defense of the Court--the we are not hacks or Republican operatives (even though Barrett made her complaint with McConnell introducing her at his named conference center.)  

    It seems clear that the Justices are unwilling or unable to undertake introspection, or deal with matters/optics under their own control--ethics, shadow docket misuse, SC photo ops with right-wingers, and dealing with a Justice whose wife is involved in the overthrow of the US government or a Supreme Court lobbyist.

     Or, to understand the reliance upon precedent in the lives of Americans.  As presented as part of  the majority opinion in Dobbs,( Thomas concurrence)---not only are we taking away the right of a woman for bodily autonomy, but also, look out for all the other rights we are prepared to take away (Griswold, contraception), Lawrence, intimacy), Obergefell ,marriage equality). Essentially, saying, you haven't seen anything yet.  We finally have the votes.

     Perhaps, the Court is too busy tracking down that leaker of Alito's draft.

    The more (5.00 / 2) (#158)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 13, 2022 at 06:42:51 PM EST
    they talk and make excuses and claim not to be right wing hacks but act like right wing hacks the more they are making the case for expanding the court.

    Biden literally can say Americans have lost faith in the supreme court due to the fact that honestly most of them lied in their hearings. So in order to restore faith the court must be expanded.

    Parent

    Go Ducks... (5.00 / 4) (#170)
    by fishcamp on Sat Sep 17, 2022 at 03:19:44 PM EST
    They're ahead of BYU.  10 to nothing, early on..

    Ken Burns' (5.00 / 1) (#171)
    by desertswine on Sun Sep 18, 2022 at 06:58:08 PM EST
    The US and the Holocaust in on PBS tonite.  Should be required viewing for all the nazis running around the country.

    The number of chilling parallels (5.00 / 1) (#172)
    by Peter G on Sun Sep 18, 2022 at 09:40:03 PM EST
    to recent events was remarkable, and disturbing.

    Parent
    Something I have pointed out. (5.00 / 1) (#174)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 09:41:28 AM EST
    Many times.

    Parent
    The first shoe to really drop (5.00 / 1) (#183)
    by Peter G on Wed Sep 21, 2022 at 12:31:08 PM EST
    seems like a pretty heavy boot.

    Letitia James... (5.00 / 1) (#185)
    by desertswine on Wed Sep 21, 2022 at 02:43:21 PM EST
    Finally.  This sure has been a looong time coming.

    I look forward (5.00 / 1) (#186)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 21, 2022 at 07:17:15 PM EST
    to Barron Trump's tell all book.

    The WSJ had another interesting headline (none / 0) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 29, 2022 at 04:52:42 PM EST
    Today.  I wont link but apparently it's an oped with  a tile like "Is that all there is?"

    Where they say something along the lines of "they better have more than just mishandling documents"

    Being the WSJ I doubt they would say that unless they had a pretty good idea they did in fact have more.

    And I kind of agree.  I don't think the AG would have done this in this way unless there was more.
    And if there is more - like actually sharing this stuff with his lickspittle friends or God forbid Russia or North Korea - I think the Mar a Lago search really could be his biggest problem.

    What ever it is they have multiple witnesses.  

    I've been thinking indictment (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 29, 2022 at 04:59:18 PM EST
    right after the election.  I hope this is true.

    "Republicans know that the weeks leading up to midterm elections aren't a good time to pick a fight with the party leader, especially one who they believe won't hesitate to turn against anyone who opposes him. That means the next opportunity to move away from Trump is probably after the November midterms. Until then, Republicans are probably stuck with whatever he does that disrupts the party's attempts to run coherent campaigns and focus voters on President Joe Biden's weaknesses."

    link


    Parent

    I'm thinking (none / 0) (#9)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 03:49:09 PM EST
    can it wait that long? He is cornered and more likely to do something dastardly. And do any of the 90 rules apply to someone not running for president?

    Parent
    So (none / 0) (#3)
    by FlJoe on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 04:55:31 AM EST
    what if that is all there is? Is the WSJ arguing that  it is not really a crime or they are arguing that tRump is above the law?

    The semi-fascists argue the former, the full-fascists argue the latter.

    They may not come right our and say it but all the apologists arguments boil down to one of the two.

    The real question is whether Lindsey "riots in the street" Graham is semi or full.

    For some reason I don't see him dressing in maga/combat gear and lead the next assault on the capitol.

    Parent

    I left a comment on this subject (none / 0) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 08:24:09 AM EST
    it would be fine with me.  Easy to prove.  Severe penalties that are frequently enforced.  Get him off the streets.

    I think WSJ and others are trying to boil the frog slowly.

    Lindsey is beneath contempt and unworthy of serious response.

    Parent

    Surprising that (none / 0) (#6)
    by KeysDan on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 10:28:51 AM EST
    Fox, WSJ and other semi-fascist/full fascist media sources are running silent on Trump's demand that he be re-instated as president or an election be held immediately.  Even Lickspittle Lindsey has not come forward in support .

    Parent
    Miss Lindsey running (none / 0) (#7)
    by leap2 on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 02:26:11 PM EST
    Rachel said last night (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 08:20:54 AM EST
    people at NARA say Trump mat still have documents.  That there are still missing documents.

    Or he gave them to someone else I guess.

    I am guessing that (none / 0) (#8)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 03:44:38 PM EST
    the 90 day indictment issue does not apply to Trump because he is not a candidate?

    Also I hope indictment soon for him because he is a national security threat. The longer he is allowed to wander around with these documents the more opportunity he has to do something nefarious with them.

    I bet when he uses that golden toilet (none / 0) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 04:29:59 PM EST
    The DOJ/FBI/NSA know how may wipies he uses.

    I'm sure he is being watched.

    I just doubt Garland will do anything before the election.  It would be giving them a club to beat him with.

    Couldn't say about GA.

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    Hopefully (none / 0) (#11)
    by FlJoe on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 04:41:51 PM EST
    someone has read the riot act to the SS that's it's their sworn duty to report any hanky panky, it's their job to keep an eye on him so at least he can't scream that it's Biden spying on him. I also think that plenty of his cronies are starting to feel ole Grinding Garland closing in.

    Parent
    ... has been subpoenaed this week by a federal grand jury in Washington. Per former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner in MSNBC, "Things have just gotten real for Stephen Miller and anybody else who has a federal grand jury subpoena."

    The denizens of Trump's Emerald City Resort and Casino better stop laughing the day away in the merry old land of Oz, and heed Liz Cheney's warning. It's always been fun and games to these people - that is, until the feds get involved.

    Aloha.

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    Yes (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 05:00:22 PM EST
    Everyone is looking for the exits.  I think they are close to writing this election off.  If they do anything to piss him off he will bury them.  It they stay quiet they can hope for a shallow grave.

    But I think right after the election the bottom is likely to finally drop out for Donald.    The work to fumigate the place before 2024 will be urgently addressed.

    IMO


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    Your best (none / 0) (#18)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 08:19:23 PM EST
    evidence of that probably happening is Tony Ornato leaving/retiring/getting fired. Kind of sounds like they might be cleaning house at the SS.

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    Bloomberg (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 31, 2022 at 04:36:37 PM EST
    Hey legal professionals (none / 0) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 05:57:37 PM EST
    any chance we see the DOJ response before midnight.

    Which is the deadline I think.

    Armando (none / 0) (#20)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 30, 2022 at 08:23:31 PM EST
    says no. He says DOJ will submit right at midnight to give Trump less time to respond.

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    The WaPo is (none / 0) (#29)
    by KeysDan on Thu Sep 01, 2022 at 02:59:30 PM EST
    reporting that Ginni Thomas pressed Wisconsin lawmakers to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 presidential win. Emails obtained show that Wi state senator Kathy Bernie's and state representative Gary Tauchen were contacted on Nov 9, 2020.

    As previously reported, Ginni emailed 29 Arizona state lawmakers (some twice) urging them to set aside Biden's win and "choose" their own electors despite AZ law prohibiting such action.

    Speaking of Ginni, does anyone  have an update on Chief Justice Roberts' investigation into the identity of the person(s) who leaked Alito's draft version (which was pretty close to the final version) of the overturning of Roe v Wade (Dobbs)?  This crime of the century, to my knowledge, continues to be unsolved.  Republicans demanded a criminal investigation (if a Democratic nominated Justice or one of their clerks was responsible).   My bet continues to be Ginni, as a way to assure the death of Roe in the library with her candlestick.

    F@ck her (5.00 / 3) (#41)
    by Towanda on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 02:27:25 PM EST
    for trying to toss out my vote.

    And the date shows that the fake elector crap was planned well ahead of the election. So is their planning now for 2024.

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    Nothing (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by FlJoe on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 04:10:44 PM EST
    semi about her, pegged the scale on the fascism spectrum IMO.

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    Just (none / 0) (#46)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 02, 2022 at 05:01:51 PM EST
    Go Ducks (none / 0) (#55)
    by fishcamp on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 01:33:22 PM EST
    But I don't they have a chance against Georgia.

    Not the Ducks day today. (none / 0) (#59)
    by desertswine on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 05:54:45 PM EST
    Ducks looked poorly today. (none / 0) (#61)
    by Chuck0 on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 07:22:57 PM EST
    I took the Ducks +16.5 and still lost money.

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    The SDSU Aztecs (none / 0) (#63)
    by Chuck0 on Sun Sep 04, 2022 at 11:27:18 AM EST
    kinds of embarrassed themselves in their first games in their new stadium. Lost to Arizona by 18 points.

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    You were right. (none / 0) (#88)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 11:47:24 PM EST
    They didn't.

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    Imagine spending your (none / 0) (#62)
    by jondee on Sat Sep 03, 2022 at 07:46:15 PM EST
    twilight years being Ginni Thomas. Seems like a waste.

    As far as what keeps Trump up, it's the angry chafing and irritation resulting from using classified docs for bathroom tissue. He got a taste for the rough paper after the Russians gifted Mar-A-Lago with some Soviet-era surplus.

    What is the Trump Magic? (none / 0) (#64)
    by RickyJim on Sun Sep 04, 2022 at 08:08:34 PM EST
    I've asked here before for books and articles that explain his success.  What I was able to find still leaves me unsure.  

    Here is a short Youtube that gets into how Trump uses language, perhaps unconsciously, to get his desired effects.

    There is a whole book, written by a media academic, comparing Trump's use of language with all presidential candidates starting with Dewey and Truman. This is the most serious attempt I've read to explain things but I am unconvinced that anybody using the same techniques would have his success.

    Last and least is a book that talks about Trump as a cult leader and discusses his similarities to Jim Jones, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Keith Raniere, etc. The was an entertaining audio book but didn't explain, to my satisfaction, Trump's massive following.

    The "magic" (5.00 / 1) (#74)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 03:14:01 PM EST
    is an overabundance of rubes in which to fleece. The complete dumbing down of America.

    The orange mob boss has no magic. He isn't smart, he isn't charismatic, he isn't eloquent. I know teenagers with a better vocabulary.

    He is a reprobate who appeals to the lowest of human traits. He has normalized rudeness and mean-spiritedness. He has no redeeming human qualities.

    Parent

    Never underestimate (5.00 / 1) (#110)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 02:47:40 PM EST
    the ability of a big, loud, moron, seemingly overflowing with self-assurance, to accrue a big following in America.

    It's a primeval monkey band response.

    Parent

    I'm also interested in this question so I (1.50 / 2) (#134)
    by ladybug on Sat Sep 10, 2022 at 03:25:13 PM EST
    looked up the book you linked. I read some of the first chapter but I won't go on because although Hart tries to be balanced, it is clear he is writing from a  dislike of Trump. To get a satisfying answer, you probably need to ask someone who actually supports Trump. I'm surprised you asked the question on this site, but I did notice it and appreciated your question and the link. So I thought I'd respond. Cheers.  

    Parent
    maybe pick up a copy of this book: (none / 0) (#65)
    by leap2 on Sun Sep 04, 2022 at 10:58:04 PM EST
    "Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present" by Ruth Ben-Ghiat. She lays out techniques authoritarians use to gain and hold power. It's quite frightening what Trump and his acolytes are doing, and fits right into the patterns of other 20th & 21st C strongmen. The parallels are unnerving.

    Some reviews on Goodreads....

    Parent

    I've Read That One Too (none / 0) (#66)
    by RickyJim on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 10:38:32 AM EST
    The only consensus I get from these sources is that you have to sound glib and confident, don't stutter or hesitate, and tap into the worries of your audience.

    Parent
    What you describe (none / 0) (#67)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 10:56:55 AM EST
    Is a successful game show host.  Which fittingly is exactly was Trump was.

    And if by "worries" you mean phobias hate and prejudices, well, yeah.

    The secret of Trump's magic, if you want my opinion,  has less to do with Trump than with the hate and fear and envy he chose to exploit.

    IMO he is the inevitable end product of the decades of a republican strategy of division and manipulation of education and society to produce stupid easily frightened angry and aggrieved people.

    For decades they have greased the skids for this.  It just took someone and hollow and ruthless as Trump to kick out the guardrails and fully and shamelessly exploit the landscape.

    Eventually it would have been someone.  Others have tried.  Wallace, Buchanan various others.  It took a games show host to pull it off.

    In a way I think this might save us.  If he had been a tiny bit smarter and less narcissistic ......

    My 2 cents

    Parent

    A trump (none / 0) (#69)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Sep 05, 2022 at 11:24:35 AM EST
    hating friend of mine says that Trump seems to have a unique talent for zeroing in on people's fears and exploiting them. I guess following through with what you are saying maybe it wasn't a unique talent since those same people have been groomed for this by the GOP for decades.

    Parent
    We should seriously be paying these people (none / 0) (#91)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 02:33:21 PM EST
    This is worth more than all the ad time in the world.

    Rape, Incest Exceptions Removed from South Carolina Bill
    September 6, 2022 at 2:50 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 81 Comments

    "A group of South Carolina senators voted Tuesday to remove exceptions for rape and incest from a proposed abortion ban with Democrats choosing not to vote in what appeared to be a strategy to try to prevent the bill from passing through the Legislature," the AP reports.

    "The 7-3 vote in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee involved all Republican men."

    link

    I know (none / 0) (#92)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Sep 06, 2022 at 05:37:19 PM EST
    but honestly I find this sad because the women of SC will be just fine with this nonsense. They will never stand up for themselves and will take the beatings.

    Parent
    When Bannon is in Rikers (none / 0) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 08:26:52 AM EST
    he might wish he had gone with the federal charges and got a nice cushy club fed sentence.


    Reports: Steve Bannon facing N.Y. state indictment

    Steve Bannon, former Trump chief strategist, is expected to face a new criminal indictment and surrender to New York prosecutors on Thursday, the Washington Post first reported on Tuesday.



    Here's a video of a bunch of fat guys... (5.00 / 1) (#128)
    by desertswine on Fri Sep 09, 2022 at 01:23:27 AM EST
    That video is a keeper (none / 0) (#131)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 09, 2022 at 08:30:11 AM EST
    But it's just one more case of a Trump toadie getting busted for stuff Trump did 100 times more of.

    That build the wall BS is about 1% as much money as Trump conned people out of to "stop the steal".  Just like Bannon it's well known none of the money was used for the advertised purpose.

    They NEED to get on to Trump before he dies of old age

    Parent

    Bill Barrs actual point becomes more clear (none / 0) (#107)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 10:17:08 AM EST
    the answer to 'why is he doing this'.  

    "Will the people really understand that this is not failing to return a library book, that this was serious?" he added. "So, you have to worry about those things and I hope that those kinds of factors will incline the administration not to indict him. Because I don't want to see him indicted as a former president."

    link

    That ship (5.00 / 2) (#108)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 10:32:00 AM EST
    has sailed. And Barr should look in the mirror. His "protection" of Trump allowed Trump to actually break more laws. And the entire GOP is to blame here too. They let a life long criminal off the hook TWICE. Dems gave them TWO offramps and they still clung.

    Parent
    Barr has been (none / 0) (#109)
    by KeysDan on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 02:41:17 PM EST
    a Republican Establishment fixer for his whole career.  From bailing out Daddy Bush in Iran Contra to auditioning for Trump's AG to do service-- not so much for Trump but as an Opus Dei dedicated to integrating religion and secular pathways via the Republican Party.

    Trump as jail bird throws long-term shade on the Republican Party.   And, just as Nixon fades over time.  No love for Trump, just Republicans.

    Parent

    I can't tell if this is supposed to be a joke (none / 0) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 04:33:43 PM EST

    Dr. Oz said the uninsured "don't have the right to health," but should be given "a way of crawling back out of the abyss" with "15-minute physicals" provided by the government "in a festival like setting."

    link

    Unfortunately, Fetterman has apparently (5.00 / 1) (#112)
    by Peter G on Wed Sep 07, 2022 at 10:12:07 PM EST
    agreed to debate Humbug Oz in the US Senate race in PA. Fetterman was an awkward, embarrassing stiff in the Dem primary debates, while Oz is a practiced TV-camera-loving slickster. Plus, Fetterman clearly had not fully recovered from the stroke he suffered this spring. I cannot see how Oz would not "win" any debate. Why would Fetterman do this, when he is ahead by more than five points, and rising?

    Parent
    I'd Like to think (none / 0) (#114)
    by jmacWA on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 04:41:49 AM EST
    that people would be able to see through slickness and look at content.  I don't disagree that OZ will win on slickness, but his commercials that I see, which I believe are likely the same ones you see because I watch the Philly local news, show him to be really quite lame and his 'content' is obvious lies and drivel.  It's time for people to start judging by message not slickness.  The bummer is the media will be praising OZ, but the media doesn't get as many votes as the people.

    Parent
    I think he probably needs to do it (none / 0) (#115)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 08:04:22 AM EST
    I suspect (hope) he might be better able to participate than Ozzie expects.

    Peter another question
    I saw Neal Katyal last night discussing the options the DOJ has in responding to the looney judge.  
    He listed (paraphrasing) 3.  Appeal, don't appeal, or - and this is the one I'm asking about - try to have the case moved to DC.  Saying some stuff about how the sort of thing is really supposed to be done in DC.  Something the judge has even mentioned.

    Or something like that.  Can you explain this or did I hear this wrong.

    Parent

    I suspect that Katyal is referring to (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by Peter G on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 09:10:36 AM EST
    the procedural provisions of the post-Nixon Presidential Records Act. But as I read that clause, and a related provision ("unless otherwise directed ... by a court order in another action in any Federal court"), I don't understand the relevant provision to be an exclusive grant of jurisdiction to the federal court in D.C.

    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#118)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 09:16:30 AM EST
    He was talking about the Presidential Records act

    Parent
    Here s the discussion (none / 0) (#119)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 09:20:08 AM EST
    Forgot the quote (none / 0) (#120)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 08, 2022 at 09:23:08 AM EST

    The last option, he said, is one he suggests the Justice Department go with, and that is Judge Cannon basically argued that she shouldn't be overseeing the case to begin with.

    "She pleaded herself out of her own court," said Katyal. "Because she planted remedies to the special master via the Presidential Records Act. And she has a footnote on this, Footnote 16, which says basically, the Presidential Records Act says that you can only bring these cases in Washington D.C. and only Washington D.C. judges can oversee them. So, that maybe that's what the Justice Department, I think, should do here. Get this case before judges who are experts on presidential records and executive privilege and the like.



    Parent
    Missed opportunity (none / 0) (#176)
    by BGinCA on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 10:20:16 AM EST
    How difficult would it have been for the Vice-president (or if she sere not there someone from her staff) to have come out and greeted the 50 some migrants trafficked by the deplorable Governor of TX. And personally arranged for food and shelter. Hard to imagine a more striking contrast in how to treat your fellow human.

    I thought (5.00 / 1) (#180)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Sep 19, 2022 at 06:10:58 PM EST
    About this compared to the people of Martha's vineyard. Maybe she wasn't there though

    Parent
    Go Ducks (none / 0) (#188)
    by fishcamp on Sat Sep 24, 2022 at 02:59:46 PM EST


    They managed to pull it out. (none / 0) (#189)
    by Chuck0 on Sun Sep 25, 2022 at 05:43:24 PM EST
    Wasn't looking good for a awhile. Miss the spread by a mile.


    Parent